Rather than a trade, Myles Garrett got out of the Browns the largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history. From a marketing perspective, they made a shrewd investment, given he is basically their entire entertainment value. At $40 million per year, he completely reset the market, and the Browns obliged to appease his threats.
But what did they get out of it? Granted, the Browns probably wanted to re-sign Garrett anyway, though perhaps not quite at $40 million APY. With a big jump in the cap, and more to come, it is easier to bear. But are they getting a committed player—something he apparently hasn’t always been to the fullest extent?
“It’s well known within the Browns that Garrett is frequently late to the facility”, Jason Lloyd writes for The Athletic. “He has skipped mandatory team activities on multiple occasions. Veterans typically police the locker room on those types of things and create the culture of accountability, but here, it’s the best player breaking the rules. That has to change now”.
The Steelers have dealt with star players who don’t always fully display their commitment, of course. Right now, they have just such a player in George Pickens, who evidently racks up some considerable fines behind the scenes. But Pickens hasn’t requested a trade from the Steelers like Garrett did from the Browns.
And that’s the other half of the point, and one we’ve already discussed. He never just simply asked for a trade. Myles Garrett embarked on a public media circus, declaring his “desire to win” as the root of his desire to part with the Browns. How can such a garbage organization hold a generational player hostage where he has no shot at competing?
But if Garrett wants to win so badly, to the point of demanding that the Browns trade him, why wouldn’t he want to set a good example and be on time and attend the things he’s supposed to attend? How can you expect others to buy into what you flout in their faces?
The Browns’ extension with Myles Garrett has the potential to do more harm than good, in some less obvious ways. Thanks to owner Jimmy Haslam, they are becoming nothing more than the place to collect a paycheck. You don’t really have to try in Cleveland, at least not as a team. As long as you can provide excitement, you will be stupid rich.
Garrett can make it much worse if he continues these practices, which will set the wrong example for the rest of the Browns players. And who in that locker room is going to police him? Everybody knows he is the team—especially him. And that’s why he can say and do—and not do—whatever he wants.
